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Easy one first: LA
We dont know how anyone can realize just how much money there is in that city with out actually seeing it up close. The stars only make up a small portion. The majority of the people there spend ridiculous amounts of money on everything!!! Yes, Sean is trying to talk Sherry into going back to live and prosper!! Calculater is working overtime to figure how we can rake in all the money they are trying to get rid of!!
Malaysia:
Food!!! Even though there are many, many, many things we do not recognize as food (boiled goose web, fried frog, bags of fish as candy...) we are confident that there is alot of food that our friends and family would enjoy (Satay, Mango, Mango, Mango...) Hey if Sean did not croak you will be fine!
We were expecting a largely Asian Country, we were incorrect. Untill 1957 this country was run mainly as a British Colony and english was their primary language.
Money, both of us expected a getto type environment(reinforced furthermore by our left turn) but this country's economy is centered mainly around Petroleum, therefore is somewhat wealthy. Kuala Lumpur is very modern and new stuctures are being erected everywhere.
Australia
Perth
1) People here walk around everywhere without shoes (restaurants, public restrooms, downtown etc). Yuck!
2) They think WE have accents - ha.
3) No matter where we decided to go in the world we just don't expect to see things like this when we swim:
| Squid-1kg (2000 Leagues...) |
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| For Calamari just cut the flat body part. |
| Fresh Picked Olives |
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4) What we learned about Olive Oil ....
It is interesting to note that olive oil is recommended for your health much like Red Wine is? It is suggested that if you use "Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)" it helps your body rid itself of bad things (Ask your doctor). All other Oils are bad, and it was recommended to us "good for dumping over your dogs food!" but it is good for deep frying food since real EVOO is expensive.
If you would like to buy real EVOO you have to read the label. If it says anything less than 1% (acidity) than it is real (ie 0.8-0.5% even lower). The ony way to put this on the label is to have the batch tested by an approved laboratory and have written certification proving so. As far as flavour it will depend on the season, area of growth and type of olive but trust us when we say there is a major difference. EVOO is far better tasting. If it fails the test then it is called Virgin or just Olive oil according to how bad it fails.
If it says 1% than it has been chemically manufactured and does not offer the healthy characteristics. As far as flavour goes, real EVOO is wonderful and all others have a bland oily flavour (try it).
The Extra Virgin designation comes from the time it is picked from the tree. The longer the olive is on the tree the more oil it provdes (higher yield but worse quality). Extra Virgin is harvested when only 1/3 of the tree appears ripe. (Note: the taste of a ripe olive that has not been pickled is horrible never mind a green one!!).
The cost of the oils is high due to production costs. There is very low yield in the olive at this time. If you want to test the flavour difference - some drink it, some suck the oil out of a piece of bread. As you swallow it just take in a nice breath of air. You will taste an amazing difference whether you like it depends on you. 
5) Sharks (or should we say Shark ATTACKS!)
Since we have arrived we have met people who are either deathly afraid or that don't care about sharks. It does not become a problem untill you are in the ocean at the same place that people were eaten that it becomes a bit of an issue!
We have sent out post cards that show Cottesloe Beach (our favorite beach hangout) well it turns out that last year an older gentleman had his leg torn off in one swoop as he was walking out of the water after his morning swim! DOA!!!!
Sydney had it first (then second) shark view in the harbour in many many years. As well the lifeguard olimpics were delayed then finally moved due to intense shark feeding along the coast of Queensland. Now this doesn't seem out of the ordinary for around Australia until....
Three weeks ago, fishing off the coast of Queensland, in a four hour fight a crew on a 26' cruiser pulled in a 12' great white(using rod and 40lb tess but that is another story). As far as we are told ocean fishing in heavey fish ladden water means sharks will be caught, But.... when the shark was finally being cleaned and stomach contents examined, out came the usual fish bones some other undistinguishable bone... that is undistinguishable until the human skull rolled out!!
Since this report another shark was found with human remains inside, this time only 150kms north of Perth. Oh yah - North is the direction we are taking when we leave Perth next week! And if that wasn't enough a scallop diver was eaten by a 18-20ft Great white off the coast of South Australia. And Just yesterday 5 sailors capsized the boat, and even though the hypothermia was bad they said the schools of shark swimming around were far more dangerous.
We will keep you abreast to "Shark News" straight from Oz as we find out! We will be fishing in Exmouth and Darwin and have been promised that if we don't reel in the fish fast enough sharks will eat it off the line.
May12, another attack occured when a fisherman doing repairs on his boat fell in the water. He was malled quite severe but servived by defending himself with a screw driver?
They say the nose is very sensitive on a shark - so when you are being attacked just punch him in the nose!! (Sherry will try it out and Sean will be ready to take pictures!) 6) ROAD SAFETY
The Aussies are upset about the number of fatalities in traffic accidents and rightfully so! They are currently spending alot of money on programs to minimise these statistics. For example the have spent millions on the "Don't Drive Tired " campaign.
They have free coffee stations set up along the highway (for the driver only) and have many clean rest stations along each stretch of highway! Good on them I say!
But considering all the things that could go wrong on the highway, you have to ask yourself if the money is being spent in the most apropriate manner. For example, we drove across the top of OZ in which many kilometers of the main highway were still one lane. Yep - not divided and one lane, and certainly not one lane going West and one going East!!! Just One lane!!! And including the pot holes, wash outs and cracking bitumen that surfaces the very hilly and bending trail you might even suggest "No Lane at All!!"
When you met another vehicle going the other way both drivers pull one or both tires off the bitumen onto the shoulder. Now this wouldn't be so bad if perhaps in the last 10 years they graded a shoulder or two but no, the money was spent on free coffee and signs saying "Don't Drive Tired!" Hmmm???
Now since arriving in Febuary we have heard of many deaths relating with "Road Trains" but still they say Road Trains are very safe and drivers are too careless around them! Picture yourself on a one lane highway (posted speed 100km/hr) and you meet one of theses trains head on! Yep jam on brakes and skid off the road onto the dirt!
If caught behind one going the same direction as you and it is only going 80km/hr on the straight and 60km/hr on the curves and hills (which is most of the time) do you pass, or just wait and enjoy the ride?
From what we have been told - "as long as you are not tired (or drunk) these trains don't pose any danger at all!!"
I provide this picture and ask you would you want this on your highway?
| Road Train - 54meters bumper to bumper(162ft) |
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| Honk, Honk, coming through!!!! |
7) PRICE CHECK; if you ever though what you paid was "dear !"
Canada costs vs. Aussie Costs
Note: Conversion is: ( CAN$1.00 = A$1.20 )
- gas/litre - 71.9 Barrie 73.9 in Soo 77.5 muskoka (A 85.0)
- steak - 17.61/kg T-bone (A$250)
- sausages 6.59/kg
- case of pepsi 6.99/24 costco (A$14 on sale)
- cereal 4.39 Honey comb 3.57 Cherrios (A$5.5)
- 26er of vodka
- bottle of water case(34) 7.50
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movies (and popcorn combo) (A$20 ST-25SM
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)bag of lays chips (big) 2.99 (A$3.99)
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chicken breast 6.59/kg with skin and bone (A$7.99)11.00/kg for skinlessboneless (A$11)
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bacon 3.99/ 500g (A$3.99/500g but not near as good no where close!)
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breakfast 8.99 buffet at Golden Griddle (A$ 15 cheap place)
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cell phone (A$ 0.40/call on a land line yah from your house to your neighbour never mind cell phone)
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tea at a nice cafe (A$ 5)(C$2.50 max)
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photo process fees 4.99 for 24 single prints (A$7.99 with coupon)
This is a good start.....
| Road Sign |
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BEWARE OF THE MAGPIES
During nesting season these beautiful sounding black and white birds called magpies become very aggressive and protective. They are essentialy spot painted crows that will dive bomb/swoop and smash into any unsuspecting walker or biker that gets to close to their nest. The Aussies will comment on this event in an every day sort of manner - they have all been swooped and most have even been hit. Yep the bird comes up from behind and hits people in the back of the head(sometimes causing bleeding) as they are walking by! It is very dangerous for kids walking or playing at school. Apparently they will not attack if you are looking at them so during the nesting season they wear hats or ice cream buckets with eyes painted on them to try to avoid the attack!!
| Which Way Do We Go?????? |
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| How Do you get to the Soo from here! |
ROAD SIGNS
The Aussies are famous for the round-abouts in intersections of country roads, downtown city streets, freeways etc. They are actually a very efficient manner of avoiding 4-way stops or street lights at small intersections. However, when you are a driver from another country, driving on the wrong side of the car and the wrong side of the road some of the round-abouts and signs can be a weeeee touch confusing.
Some of our favourite Aussie sayings:
Do you know what they mean?
- fair dinkum
- neva eva
- dodgy
- bloody hell
- cheeky
- bugga
- spot on
- flash
- full on
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